Approaches to Trauma Healing
My Approach
I use a few different approaches in my work and tend to borrow ideas and techniques from various perspectives of therapy.
What underlies the work I do, no matter which perspective I am using, is staying attuned to how trauma impacts lives.
What this means is that there are considerations to be taken into account when the effects of trauma are present. Trauma is not the same for everyone. A situation that overwhelms our capacity to cope and makes us think that we may die can be traumatic. Trauma can influence how we see ourselves, how we see the world, and how we relate to others.
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Trained
We use eye movements to help your brain reprocess the old memories from the past that seem to replay. When these memories replay we feel anxious, stressed, irritable, depressed and get a gut feeling in our body of impending danger. We are not always able to figure out why this is happening. This reprocessing helps our body and mind recognize those memories as just that, past memories. This frees us to be able to take the information from the past and adapt it to be useful to us now.
Brainspotting Phase 2 Trained
Brainspotting uses our visual field to identify, process and release held trauma. This tool is so helpful because this is lead by your innate wisdom. Your mind and body know what you need.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
I frequently use cognitive behavioral therapy as this is an effective and evidence based practice. There are ways that we think that were shaped by adversity in our lives that at times get in our own way. By taking the time to really understand how we see the world through our thoughts, and how we react to the world based on those thoughts, we can see what is holding us back. When we challenges these unhelpful thoughts, we are able to get unstuck from patterns that are painful.
Psychodynamic
I also use a psychodynamic prospective to learn and create insight into how early experiences shape who we are now, and how we react to life. We look at the subconscious motivations that are pulling the strings on our life (even if we don’t know they are there).
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional level II
This model of therapy helps us learn how the brain adapts to traumatic experiences. We learn how to check in and use the wisdom of our bodies to heal. We help our mind and body work together to distance from the intense sensations using mindful techniques. We look at symptoms of trauma and notice triggers. We also learn to look at parts of us that may have developed to help us survive difficult situations. We then help integrate these parts to move towards healing.
Community Resiliency Model
This model really speaks to me, and is the foundation of the trauma informed work I do. It goes beyond talk therapy and integrates the body and the mind. First we learn what resiliency is and how to track it. We learn what our bodies do when we are out of our resiliency zone. We learn ways to hack our nervous system to bring us back into a state of resiliency so we can keep moving down the river of life.
This is where we start. I get to know you and the journey life has taken you on thus far. We create a sense of felt safety in the environment around you (however that looks to you). We identify goals that we can work towards together. We monitor progress along they way. We try some new things out. We scrap the things that didn’t work. We work towards finding the life you were meant to live.
A life with resiliency.
Therapy
The goals are yours, and we work together to achieve them. Typically I meet with individuals on a weekly basis, decreasing the frequency of sessions as we get closer to meeting your goals. I do not provide couple’s therapy at this time.
50 mins | $175